good samaritan hospital medical center
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Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center
Community Service Plan 2014–2016
Approved by the Board of Trustees on October 24, 2013
Updated June 9, 2014
1000 Montauk Highway West Islip, NY 11795 NY • (631) 376‐4444 www.good‐samaritan‐hospital.org
Mission Statement
Catholic Health Services of Long Island (CHS), as a ministry of the Catholic church, continues Christ’s healing mission, promotes excellence in care and commits itself to those in need.
CHS affirms the sanctity of life, advocates for the poor and underserved, and serves the common good. It conducts its health care practice, business, education and innovation with justice integrity and respect for the dignity of each person. Good Samaritan Hospital Service Area
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is a 537‐bed (including 100 nursing home beds), medical center located on the south shore of Long Island in West Islip, New York. On March 20, 1958, the name Good Samaritan was chosen for the then 175‐bed, not‐for‐profit community hospital under construction on a 60‐acre site overlooking the Great South Bay. It is one of six hospital members of CHS, an integrated health care delivery system that also includes three nursing homes, a regional home care and hospice network and a community‐based agency for those with special needs.
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center serves a broad geographic area covering western Suffolk County’s south shore and part of southeastern Nassau County, a region that is home to more than 850,000 individuals. The median age in the primary and secondary service areas, from which more than 90% of the hospital’s inpatients and Emergency Department patients come, is 38.4 years. In these communities, 85.7% of adults are high school graduates, which exceeds both the United States and New York State averages, but falls short of the Suffolk County average of 88.4%. Median household income is $82,065, which is slightly lower than the Suffolk County average of $87,187. Exceeding the county average of 5.7%, 6% of residents in the hospital’s service area are below the federal poverty level. Nearly 19% of residents are foreign‐born.
Good Samaritan reported $9.3 million in charity care at cost net of offsetting revenues in 2012. Community service, uncompensated care and other charitable activities provided for the community totaled $17.3 million at cost, and $3.9 million was reported in bad debt at cost net of offsetting revenues in 2012. The medical center supplies residents with the tools necessary to maintain good health, including community lectures, screenings, health fairs and other programs and services.
Demographic Information – Suffolk County
People QuickFacts – US Census Bureau Suffolk County New York Population, 2013 estimate 1,499,738 19,651,127 Population, 2012 estimate 1,497,958 19,576,125 Persons under 5 years, percent, 2012 5.6% 6.0% Persons under 18 years, percent, 2012 23.1% 21.8% Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2012 14.5% 14.1% Female persons, percent, 2012 50.8% 51.5% White alone, percent, 2012 (a) 85.8% 71.2% Black or African American alone, percent, 2012 (a) 8.2% 17.5% Asian alone, percent, 2012 (a) 3.7% 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012 (b) 17.3% 18.2% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012 70.6% 57.6% Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2008-2012 20.6% 29.8% Veterans, 2008-2012 87,284 957,004
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Median household income, 2008-2012 $87,778 $57,683 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008-2012 6.1% 14.9%
Demographic Information – Good Samaritan Patients 2012 Good Samaritan Hospital discharge data by ethnicity Spanish/Hispanic origin 2423 15.19% Not Spanish/Hispanic origin 13463 84.38% Unknown 69 .03%�
2012 Good Samaritan Hospital discharge data by age Newborn 2813 10.18% Under 1 Year 559 2.02% 1‐14 1509 5.46% 15‐18 586 2.12% 19‐24 1143 .41% 25‐34 2975 10.77% 35‐44 2395 8.67% 45‐54 3089 11.18% 55‐64 3196 11.57% 65‐74 2984 10.80% 75‐84 3671 13.29% 85 and older 2701 9.78% There are 12 hospitals within a 20‐mile radius of Good Samaritan’s service area and more than 2 dozen
urgent care/walk‐in centers. Within a 15‐mile radius of the hospital, there are 2 dozen freestanding imaging centers and nearly 50 ambulatory centers providing outpatient surgery, endoscopy or other interventional services. These providers complement services offered at Good Samaritan. More than 36 substance abuse service providers are located within a 15‐mile radius of the hospital, and 13 mental health providers are within a 25‐mile radius, offering services not currently available at Good Samaritan.
Introduction
In 1968, Good Samaritan partnered with the Suffolk County Department of Health to create the Martin Luther King, Jr., Health Center (MLK), Suffolk County’s first health center located in Wyandanch, a designated, medically underserved area. Now one of eight such centers, MLK provides services to patients who would otherwise have no access to regular primary care. Good Samaritan provides the community with comprehensive primary care without regard to age, race, creed or ability to pay.
Programs of particular importance to improving the health of the community include outreach services,
which provide medical screening and physical examination services to the medically indigent and elderly. Under the leadership of Good Samaritan’s medical staff, a team of retired physicians and nurses have been recruited to provide this important and necessary service. Relationships have been established with Catholic Charities and parish outreach coordinators who receive referrals primarily from various social service agencies and the community church/parish. The parish outreach coordinators serve as liaisons between Good Samaritan and the community and also provide important functions such as making appointments and arranging transportation for the program’s participants. In addition, the following events are held to meet the needs of the elderly and underserved communities:
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• Good Samaritan sponsors a series of free lecture series, “Good Sam University,” providing expert advice on topics related to health and wellness with special emphasis on women’s health, senior health, and nutrition topics
• Good Samaritan provides monthly informational tables at local libraries offering education on hospital services and programs
• Free flu vaccines are distributed annually at the Tanner Park Senior Health and Wellness Fair, Copiague
• Good Samaritan offers monthly blood pressure screenings at the Bay Shore Library
• Good Samaritan Hospital participates in six CHS Healthy Sundays events annually at local churches, providing parishioners with free cholesterol and blood pressure screenings, as well as educational material on hypertension, diabetes, nutrition, stroke and cardiology
• The Annual Theresa Patnode Santmann Heart and Soul Symposium, a free wellness seminar exploring healthy mind‐body connection and its impact on chronic illness
In an effort to remain responsive to evolving community health needs, Good Samaritan is engaged in an ongoing process of soliciting feedback from community members, patients and partner organizations. In 2013, a more formalized approach to assessing community health needs was undertaken. This multipronged effort consisted of gathering information from a number of sources representing the population served, including:
• A random telephone survey of 500 health care decision makers in the hospital’s primary and secondary service areas;
• A focused community health needs assessment survey distributed to patients, community members and staff;
• Evaluation forms completed by attendees at Good Samaritan’s various community health education programs;
• Data derived from surveys of community‐based organizations; • Transcripts of interviews with community‐based organizations serving the Long Island
region; • United States Census data; • Publicly available data from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps to Health, the
Community Guide, Healthy People 2020 and other widely used sources of indicators and evidence‐informed program activities provided by Community Commons’ CHNA Toolkit1.
While the data sources represented a diverse group of stakeholders, several common themes emerged from the various survey instruments. The top three health issues identified were overweight/obesity, high blood pressure, and back and joint pain. Cancer and diabetes were also frequently mentioned as health challenges. In a similar vein, weight loss and nutrition information were commonly cited as services that respondents felt they needed in order to improve their health.
1 http://assessment.communitycommons.org/CHNA/
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Based on the data collected by Good Samaritan Hospital in the first two quarters of 2013, the hospital will focus on chronic disease prevention through the provision of nutrition and weight management services; on improving outcomes for cancer patients through the provision of a comprehensive array of educational, preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for cancer patients; and on facilitating referrals to appropriate resources for identification and treatment of mental health issues.
Through its emergency department, outpatient clinics, and alignment with facilities that are dedicated to meeting the needs of the medically underserved such as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Health Center and the Bishop McHugh Health Center, Good Samaritan will attempt to bridge health care disparities in these focus areas. According to the New York State Department of Health Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Prevention (OMH‐HDP), these disparities might manifest as “how frequently a disease affects a group; how many people get sick; or how often the disease causes death.2” The OMH‐HDP suggests that, “Some people experience poor health due to life circumstances, discrimination or exclusion.” Among those who may experience health disparities are racial and ethnic groups, women, children and senior citizens, and low‐income individuals and families.
Methodology, Data Sources and Collaborating Organizations
From March 3 – 6, 2013, First Market Research, Inc., a Newton, MA‐based market research firm, conducted a telephone survey of 503 randomly selected health care decision makers in Good Samaritan Hospital’s primary and secondary service areas. Using a survey instrument developed in consultation with the hospital, First Market Research queried respondents about hospital usage, key factors affecting hospital selection, hospital services most frequently used and preferred methods of communication about available health care services. A demographic profile of health care decision makers was also obtained.
Following this, a 20‐question community health needs survey was developed and disseminated throughout the month of May 2013. Designed to capture specific information about the community’s perception of unmet health care needs, the survey was distributed to more than 4,000 individuals electronically, through an e‐mail blast. In addition, 500 surveys were distributed in hard paper form at three health screenings, in hospital and ambulatory center waiting areas including the Martin Luther King, Jr., Health Center, and at support groups. Of these, 115 completed surveys were collected (50 online and 65 paper). In addition, more than 600 attendees at community health education seminars were asked to complete an evaluation form that included questions about the program content, as well as their preferences for future health education offerings.
Good Samaritan Hospital partnered with Suffolk County’s other not‐for‐profit hospitals and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, under the auspices of the Nassau‐Suffolk Hospital Council, to survey community‐based organizations throughout Long Island. An online survey was completed by 102 representatives of community‐based health, human service, government, civic, educational and business agencies who shared their views on the unmet health care needs and barriers to accessing health care services in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. The work group met on February 14, February 22, April 11, April 29, June 25 and July 30, 2013. In‐depth interviews were conducted by members of the Nassau‐Suffolk Hospital Council’s Public Health Workgroup, which included representatives of Long Island’s hospitals, health systems, county health departments and academic institutions, with representatives of local chapters of the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and United Way. Transcripts of these conversations, 2 http://www.health.ny.gov/community/minority/
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during which the interviewer was able to probe for information and discuss responses at length, provided a more qualitative and contextual framework for the survey findings.
United States Census data, including demographic information provided through the American Fact Finder website, was used to benchmark local demographic information against county, state‐wide and national statistics for measures such as median age, income level, percent of population living below the federal poverty level, educational attainment and percent of residents who are foreign‐born.
Community Commons’ CHNA Toolkit, an online resource for hospitals, public health departments, academic institutions and the general public, provided access to publicly reported data from a variety of sources including the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps to Health, the Community Guide, Healthy People 2020 and others.
Lastly, Good Samaritan Hospital’s own internal data was used to determine primary and secondary service areas, patient demographics and most heavily used health care services.
Continued Engagement with Partners and Tracking Progress Long Island Health Collaborative As a result of the CHNA process and with both Nassau and Suffolk counties identifying the same three public health priorities, a collaborative bi‐county work group was formed with participants representing hospitals, county health departments, health and welfare organizations, and colleges. They include:
• Long Island’s 24 hospitals
• Nassau‐Suffolk Hospital Council
• New York State Department of Health
• Nassau County Department of Health
• Suffolk County Department of Health Services
• United Way of Long Island
• American Lung Association of Northeast
• Adelphi University
• Western Suffolk BOCES
• Cornell University Cooperative Extension
• YMCA
• Catholic Charities
• Healthcare Association of New York State
• Kaiser Family Foundation
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
• LIHC program inventory
• HITE site
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• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Institute of Medicine
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• National Institutes of Health
• Healthypeople.gov
Unique in New York State, this collaboration will allow for health systems and community partners to be involved in the education, planning and provision of services that goes well beyond clinical care and enters the realm of public health and prevention.
Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC) is a partnership created to support the work group’s collective efforts in addressing the selected Prevention Agenda priority and focus areas. This innovative regional effort will culminate with a comprehensive, island‐wide public awareness campaign. A website, which will be maintained by the Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council, has been designed for LIHC. The LIHC website will explain the purpose for LIHC, as well as provide information on population health, the role of reform in the changing landscape of health care and the role of patients and consumers in maintaining their own health. A brief narrative of the focus areas includes links to more detailed information and resources as well as an explanation of state and federal mandates, which are driving more robust and collaborative community health planning. The site will includes links to helpful resources such as BMI calculators and specific disease risk assessment tools.
Additionally, the bi‐county work group is creating a universal metric assessment in order to be able to collect reliable and reportable data for the region. The metric will feature four subscales, which will dovetail with the focus areas. Data will be collected and analyzed by one of LIHC’s university partners. Currently, it is anticipated that this measurement tool would be given to program participants in chronic disease management or wellness programs with three or more education sessions. Participants would complete a survey a total of three times: pre‐program, immediately post‐program and again 3–6 months post‐program.
Hospital members within the Nassau‐Suffolk Hospital Council will use an organization Wellness Survey to assess health‐promoting activities in the areas of nutrition, exercise, psychological well‐being, and health responsibility. The Self‐Rated Abilities Practices Scale (SRAHP) is a 28‐item, 5‐point scale to measure self‐perceived ability to implement health‐promoting behaviors. SRAHP contains four subscales: Exercise, Nutrition, Responsible Health Practice, and Psychological Well Being. Each subscale has seven items. Respondents are asked to rate the extent to which they are able to perform health practices related to these four domains. An example of an item from the Health Practices subscale is “I am able to get help from others when I need it.” Items are rated from 0 (not at all) to 4 (completely). Ratings for each subscale are summed to yield subscale scores. Subscale scores are summed to obtain a total scare. Total scores range from 0–112. Higher scores indicate greater self‐ efficacy for health practices.
Good Samaritan Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment Survey Results
Respondents to the CHNA survey were predominantly female, and most were over the age of 50.
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Income levels of respondents to this survey were similar to the First Market Research group, with 25% earning under $50,000, 35% earning $50,000–$100,000 and 37% earning more than $100,000. Of the respondents, 83% were white, while approximately 8% were African‐American and 7% Hispanic. The main health challenges faced include overweight/obesity, high blood pressure, joint or back pain.
Among those who experienced barriers to accessing routine care, the most often cited issues are scheduling conflicts and an inability to afford co‐payments or deductibles. Respondents suggested that the health of their families and neighbors could be improved through, among other services, greater access to healthier food, wellness services and free health screenings.
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Among the screenings and health services that respondents felt would be most beneficial were blood pressure, cancer, cholesterol, exercise, nutrition and routine care or well checkups.
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Respondents reported that they require education about blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, exercise, nutrition and weight loss.
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Resources Available to Good Samaritan in Serving Patients in the Community
In an effort to provide health care to underserved communities, Good Samaritan partners with the Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Health Center in Wyandanch to provide services to patients who would otherwise have no access to primary care. Through its membership in Catholic Health Services, the hospital also staffs the Bishop McHugh Health Center in Bay Shore, which provides free medical services to those in need. These two primary care clinics enable Good Samaritan to deliver health and wellness services to patients in their own neighborhoods, while addressing barriers such as lack of transportation and cost.
In 2013, The Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation absorbed the Board of the not‐for‐profit Breast Cancer Help, Inc., an organization headquartered in nearby Bay Shore, whose mission is to provide free supportive services to cancer survivors. With this organization now under the auspices of Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, the hospital has an expanded footprint in Bay Shore and an offsite location through which it will continue offering yoga, massage, art therapy and other non‐medical support to cancer patients and survivors. In late 2013/early 2014, the hospital has added to those services, offering bereavement support and smoking cessation, as well as support groups, lectures and screenings within the Breast Cancer Help, Inc. building at 32 Park Avenue, Bay Shore. Efforts are being made to expand programs and increase the utilization of the building in order to reach a greater number of survivors.
Public Health Priorities Chosen
Based on data gathered from both primary and secondary sources, Good Samaritan Hospital has selected chronic disease prevention through the provision of nutrition and weight management services; improving outcomes for cancer patients through the provision of a comprehensive array of educational, preventive, diagnostic and treatment services, and the identification and provision of referrals for mental health services as its three priority areas for community health improvement projects in 2014–2016.
Priority Area 1: Chronic Disease Prevention through Weight Management and Nutrition
One of the federal government’s Healthy People 2020 goals is to “Promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights.”3 The Healthy People 2020 website cites strong scientific evidence endorsing the benefits
3 Healthy People 2020 Website: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=29
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of consuming a healthy, balanced diet and maintaining a healthy body weight for both children and adults. The site recommends interventions that help support a healthier diet by providing education and skills to empower individuals to make healthier food choices. Programs focusing on nutrition, weight management and obesity were mentioned by a majority of survey respondents as the services from which they could derive the most benefit.
Among the 115 respondents to Good Samaritan’s CHNA, overweight and obesity were the most commonly chosen health challenges reported. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute cite numerous root causes of obesity, many of which are prevalent in the Long Island communities surround Good Samaritan Hospital. These include an inactive lifestyle due in part to reliance on automobiles for transportation and less physical activity required in the workplace and at home thanks to technological innovations. In addition, environmental factors such neighborhoods that lack sidewalks, parks and other areas for safe walking, increased time spent at work, oversized food portions and nutritionally poor choices offered at restaurants and fast food chains, and food deserts where there are few supermarkets or retailers selling healthy foods.4
Since overweight and obesity are contributing factors to chronic ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and orthopedic problems, community health interventions that focus on nutrition and weight management have the potential to positively impact the chronic health problems most prevalent within the communities served by Good Samaritan. With a robust clinical team consisting of cardiologists, endocrinologists, orthopedic surgeons, registered dietitians and others who specialize in preventing and managing these conditions, Good Samaritan is well positioned to provide high‐quality educational, preventive and treatment services in this area.
Priority Area 2: Improving Outcomes for Cancer Patients through Educational, Preventive, Diagnostic and Treatment Services
Another Healthy People 2020 goal is to “Reduce the number of new cancer cases, as well as the illness, disability, and death caused by cancer.”5 Cancer survivors number approximately 13.7 million in the United States.6 Survivors face a range of physical, emotional, psychosocial, employment, legal and interpersonal challenges, many of which the health care system is still in the early stages of addressing. At the same time, it has long been understood that risk factor management, early detection and advanced, evidence‐based treatment protocols can prolong life and improve the odds of achieving a cure. These advances will lead to increasing numbers of cancer survivors, many of whom will view their cancer as a chronic illness requiring ongoing management.
Many of the same lifestyle factors that impact on heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases may also contribute to the development of certain cancers. The use of tobacco products, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and obesity may increase the risk of cancer. Other modifiable risk factors include exposure to ultraviolet light due to sun exposure or the use of tanning salons. Given Good Samaritan Hospital’s location less than half a mile from the Great South Bay and
4 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health‐topics/topics/obe/causes.html 5 Healthy People 2020 Website: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=29 6 “Number of Cancer Survivors Expected to Increase to 18 Million by 2022,” Official Website of the National Cancer Survivors Day: http://www.ncsd.org/_blog/Front_Page_News/post/number‐of‐cancer‐survivors‐expected‐to‐increase‐to‐18‐million‐by‐2022/
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proximity to the destination beaches of Fire Island, focus on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer, as well as other cancers, is an important community health initiative for the hospital.
Cancer was the only other health challenge mentioned by more than 10% of respondents to Good Samaritan’s survey. Cancer rates in Suffolk County exceed those of New York State, with local clusters reported. A 2003 study found that the communities of Ronkonkoma, Central Islip, Islip Terrace and East Islip had clusters of lung cancer in females that were 40% higher than the New York State average.7 African‐American men and women have the highest incidence and death rates from lung cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet on Disparities.8 The New York State Department of Health reports that thyroid cancer rates in men across Suffolk County are 30% or more higher than the state average.9 The National Cancer Institute points to lack of health coverage and low socioeconomic status as the key factors contributing to disparities in cancer incidence and mortality.10 As previously noted, these factors have been observed in significant portions of the populations served by Good Samaritan Hospital. Good Samaritan has a documented record of expertise in managing cancer. In 1993, it opened one of Long Island’s first Breast Health Centers and has continued to pioneer new techniques in diagnostic technology. The Women’s Imaging Center, accredited by the American College of Radiology for excellence in the performance of stereotactic and ultrasound‐guided biopsies, was named a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, and the Breast Health Center was granted three‐year full accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. The hospital’s multidisciplinary cancer program has earned the Outstanding Achievement Award and three‐year accreditation with commendation in eight areas from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer on three consecutive surveys, nine years in a row. This makes the hospital uniquely qualified to undertake community health improvement activities centered on cancer care. Priority Area 3: Providing Referrals to Appropriate Resources for Mental Health Services
Mental health issues continue to challenge many Long Islanders, and are often seen concurrently with other chronic disease states. Good Samaritan’s goal is to provide targeted populations with information about the signs and symptoms of mental health and substance abuse issues (often occurring concomitantly with a chronic disease) and to offer links to community‐based clinical programs and services. Through this effort, we hope to achieve earlier identification of mental health and substance abuse issues among patients of all ages.
According to the literature, research into disparities in mental health has been listed as a priority by both the Institute of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. In addition, and The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health is focused on elimination of disparities as one of its goals for transforming the mental health system.11 Further, the Surgeon General’s report, Mental Health: Culture, Race and Ethnicity, A Supplement to Mental Health noted that racial and ethnic minorities are 7 Geoffrey M. Jacquez and Dunlie A. Greiling, “Local clustering in breast, lung and colorectal cancer in Long Island,” New York; International Journal of Health, 2003 February 17; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC151676/8 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/disparities/cancer‐health‐disparities 9 Maps of Cancer by County: http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/cancer/registry/cntymaps/cntymaps.pdf 10 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/disparities/cancer‐health‐disparities 11 American Journal of Public Health, V. 99(11), November 2009
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“less likely to have access to available mental health services, less likely to receive needed mental health care, often receive poorer quality care, and are significantly under‐represented in mental health research.”12 This, coupled with the identification of mental health as a key unmet health need by Good Samaritan’s Community Health Needs Assessment and other primary sources, led to the inclusion of this priority in the hospital’s planning.
Three‐Year Implementation Plan
Priority Area 1: Weight/Nutrition Management
Purpose: To improve community health by reducing incidence of obesity and related co‐morbidities such as heart disease.
Objectives: To provide individuals with the tools and knowledge to positively impact food choices and activity levels.
Audience: School‐age children and parents, Good Samaritan employees, community members and physicians.
Health care professionals participate in numerous free, community‐based screenings for cholesterol, glucose and high blood pressure held at local libraries, street fairs and festivals, and community‐ and hospital‐based health fairs. In addition, a number of initiatives surrounding this topic area are in the planning stages or have been recently implemented at Good Samaritan Hospital:
I. Healthier Families Program
In conjunction with the Bay Shore School District and the Bay Shore Wellness Alliance, Good Samaritan Hospital will offer a free, 10‐week weight management program for children in grades 2 – 5 who are identified as being at risk for obesity‐related health issues. The program will meet at the Bay Shore Middle School twice each week for a 45‐minute exercise session, which will take place in the school’s Wellness Center under the supervision of licensed physical education instructors. One day each week, the parents will also attend for an additional 45‐minute educational session taught by a Good Samaritan Hospital registered dietitian. Students and parents will learn how to make appropriate food choices and read a food label, as well as about the importance of calorie counting, fat content, and portion control. Up to 20 children may participate in each 10‐week session.
II. Wellness Seminar
More than 200 individuals attended Good Samaritan’s Nutrition Symposium in April 2013. Billed as “A Healthy Serving of Knowledge,” the event featured workshops taught by registered dietitians, physicians and allied health care professionals addressing issues such as “How to Read a Food Label,” “Stress Management,” “Which Diet Options Work?” and “How to Feed Picky Eaters.” In addition, for the next five years, as part of a $1 million donation from Babylon resident Theresa Patnode Santmann to support a $5.6 million upgrade to Good Samaritan’s interventional cardiac services, there will be funding for an annual symposium (with the first in October 2013) focusing on the psychosocial and emotional issues that impact on health and well‐being.
III. Web‐based education for the community and medical staff 12 National Alliance on Mental Health Website at http://www.nami.org
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Data gathered during the CHNA survey process revealed that, while 83.5% of community residents receive their health information directly from their health care provider, nearly 50% reported using the Internet as a main source of health information. In response to this, in 2013 Good Samaritan Hospital began to use web‐based technology to expand its educational offerings to community members and physicians. This initiative will introduce webinars focusing on weight loss including information on bariatric surgery as a treatment for morbidities associated with severe obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 – 40 with co‐morbidities such as diabetes, sleep apnea or hypertension.
Goal: To provide education to 100 community members and 100 physicians or more through the end of 2016 as measured by log‐ins to the Livestream platform, which Good Samaritan will use to provide webinars.
Action Plan Strategy: Nutrition and Weight Management
• The Healthier Family Program is a joint initiative between the Bay Shore School District Physical Education Department and Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center. The goal of the program is to educate and encourage parents/guardians and students on the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. A multidisciplinary team consisting of a Bay Shore School District physical educator, members of the Bay Shore Wellness Alliance, along with Good Samaritan Hospital health care professionals, works with students and families to develop a plan for long‐term good health. As a result of the partnership with parents and students, Good Samaritan and Bay Shore schools have been able to design a program that helps families change health behavior patterns. In an effort to reach a larger population, Good Samaritan plans to seek additional school districts to partner with in this program.
• Good Samaritan Hospital offers a free bariatric support group that is open to all individuals and their families who have had weight‐loss surgery or are planning to have weight‐loss surgery. The support group is held four times a month. There are two evening and two afternoon meetings. The dates, times and locations are advertised in the local papers, Newsday and the Good Samaritan website in an effort to strengthen the hospital’s bariatric surgery program. The group is facilitated by a registered nurse and a licensed social worker and dietitian attend as needed. Individuals who are planning to have weight‐loss surgery are encouraged to attend three meetings prior to surgery. These informal meetings allow time for personal sharing, encouragement and discussion. The goal is to engage the patient while offering education and support that allows the patient to become an active member pre‐ and post‐operatively in order to be successful in the weight‐loss surgery journey. Data is collected using a survey given to participants attending multiple meetings.
• The Diabetes Prevention Program completes an initial Risk Assessment for Diabetes for all
participants. This includes questions about height, weight, and medical and family history. The program is designed to help prevent diabetes in people who have pre‐diabetes or are at high risk for diabetes. Over the course of the program, a trained lifestyle coach leads one‐hour weekly sessions to help participants improve their food choices, increase physical activity and learn coping skills to maintain weight loss. Each week, the participants are confidentially
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weighed in order to track their progress toward the two main goals of losing 5‐7% of body weight and become more physically active. The class size averages eight participants per week. Good Samaritan will continue this collaboration with the Suffolk County Department of Health in order to improve the detection of diabetes at its earliest stage.
• Monthly blood pressure checks and educational tables are available at the Bay Shore‐
Brightwaters Public Library, Pronto of Long Island Community Day Fair and Wyandanch Public Library. Community health coordinators continue to develop relationships with local schools, companies and not‐for‐profit groups such as American Heart Association and American Cancer Association in an effort to reach a larger number of underserved and uninsured in the community.
Priority Area 2: Cancer
Purpose: Reduce cancer mortality and morbidity.
Objective: Educate, screen, support and provide the latest treatment options for those with malignant disease, with special attention to health disparities such as a higher incidence of cancer in specific populations.
Audience: Physicians, cancer patients and survivors and the general public.
Data collected by the hospital’s Cancer Registry has shown a significantly higher number of cancer patients diagnosed at Good Samaritan not staying in the system for treatment through recovery. In order to better meet the needs of the people who rely on Good Samaritan for their cancer treatment, the medical center has expanded upon its already successful breast cancer and radiation oncology navigation program, adding a more comprehensive patient navigation program for all cancer patients. This newly enhanced patient navigation program is part of the dedicated cancer center developed at Good Samaritan. Patient navigation is a vital component in cancer care. It is a proactive approach to cancer care whereby trained personnel guide patients through and around barriers (i.e., transportation, cost, access to resources) they may encounter when seeking the cancer care they require. The primary goals of patient navigation are to decrease fragmentation of care and to better coordinate services for patients so they can be assured their care is both timely and as effective as possible. Patient navigators are compassionate guides who know the resources that exist for people requiring cancer care.
Good Samaritan Hospital has long been committed to cancer prevention, as well as providing access to the most advanced diagnostic and treatment protocols. In this realm, the hospital offers an ongoing series of annual free screenings, including a prostate cancer screening, skin cancer screening, head and neck cancer screening, and colorectal cancer screening. Professionally facilitated support groups for cancer patients and caregivers, including separate groups for breast cancer patients and those diagnosed with breast cancer at a very young age, are offered. In 2013, a comprehensive cancer services brochure was created to provide patients and the community with information about the range of cancer programs available at Good Samaritan.
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The American Cancer Society recently reported that poorly differentiated triple negative breast cancer, (a breast cancer in which the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth–estrogen, progesterone and the HER‐2/neu gene– are not present in the tumor), has a much higher incidence in African American women than Caucasian women. The hospital’s breast cancer patient navigator is working with the Witness Project, a culturally informed, community‐based breast and cervical cancer education program designed to effectively increase awareness, knowledge, and motivation to address this disparity. The Witness Project involves a team of local African‐American breast and cervical cancer survivors, "Witness Role Models," who speak to groups of other African‐ American women at local churches and community organizations in underserved areas. In addition, specific new initiatives include:
I. Physicians’ newsletters
A new, electronic publication was launched in 2013 to provide community‐based physicians with information on the latest breakthroughs in cancer treatment and to familiarize them with locally available services in order to enhance access to evidence‐based treatment protocols for their patients. The inaugural issue focused on breast cancer. A second issue tackled gynecological cancer. The publication is disseminated, twice a year, electronically to Good Samaritan’s 900 voluntary attending and employed physicians, and mailed to 1,442 non‐affiliated physicians. Participants will be tracked by email activity.
II. YouTube videos
Using its recently launched YouTube channel to disseminate video content allows Good Samaritan physicians and allied health professionals to provide education and information to a wide range of community members who may not be inclined to attend a health education event at the hospital or at another physical location. Good Samaritan produced short videos with information on skin cancer, breast cancer and radiation therapy. In addition, clinicians will be approached to comment on new research study findings and health news appearing in the popular press. In July 2013, social media channels including Facebook and Twitter became available as additional distribution channels for this programming, providing access to previously unreached audiences.
Goal: To provide the community with a reliable source of information on cancer prevention, diagnosis and management via online video content. Success will be measured by the achievement of a 50% increase through 2016 in the average number of viewers for cancer videos, as compared to existing YouTube channel video content.
Budget: Social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are available free of charge. The hospital is using its internal public affairs and marketing staff, existing equipment, and employed or affiliated physicians to create the video content. There is no additional cost beyond salaries attached to this activity.
Action Plan Strategy: Improving Outcomes for Cancer Patients
• Learn to Be Tobacco Free six‐week smoking cessation programs are offered four times a year.
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• In April 2013, The Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation aligned with Breast Cancer Help, Inc. to provide outreach, education and programs including Zumba, yoga, reflexology, reiki and creative art and writing, for cancer survivors on Long Island. Programs are offered at the Long Island Cancer Help and Wellness Center in Bay Shore, to provide non‐medical support for those dealing with cancer. Good Samaritan is planning to increase the number of cancer survivors benefitting from the programs by offering more programs five days a week.
• A man’s risk for prostate cancer increases after the age of 50 with nearly two‐thirds of prostate cancers being found in men older than 65. African‐American men are at higher risk of getting prostate cancer than Caucasian men, and more than twice as likely to die of the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.13 To encourage early detection, especially among high‐risk groups, Good Samaritan encourages them to participate in a free prostate screening every September. Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) blood tests and digital rectal examination results are reported to the patient’s primary care physician.
Priority Area 3: Mental Health When a lack of access to mental health resources is identified, Good Samaritan Hospital will provide information on and refer to the extensive mental health services available within Catholic Health Services. Data Evaluation:
Outcome of community outreach is measured by:
A. The Long Island Health Collaborative developed a universal screening wellness tool of health behaviors to be used at community health and wellness programs that meet a minimum of two sessions. Data will be de‐identified and entered into an Island‐wide database that will be coordinated by Stony Brook University to track aggregate health behavior changes as a result of attending hospital programs. Good Samaritan’s manager of public and external affairs will be an active member of the collaborative, attending regional meetings and assessing the inventory of services such as walking programs that will enhance the hospital’s initiatives.
B. CBISA Lyons software community benefit reporting data, which lists programs completed, the location and the number of persons screened or educated, is entered monthly.
C. A database is kept to maintain information from the hospital’s ongoing screening program. Participants who screen outside of “normal” parameters are referred to appropriate sources of care such as the Bishop McHugh Health Center or hospital Emergency Department. Follow‐up notification is sent via mail and information is tracked.
Conclusion
Throughout the course of its 54‐year history, Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center has striven to be responsive to the evolving health care needs of the community it serves. This Community Service Plan will be available on Good Samaritan Hospital’s website, www.good‐samaritan‐hospital.org; a paper copy is available by contacting the Office of Public and External Affairs at (631) 376‐4104. In addition, the plan was shared with the public at Adelphi University’s fall symposium, “Public Health in the
13 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/disparities/cancer‐health‐disparities
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Suburbs, Part 2: Medical Centers Meeting Community Health Needs”, on Nov. 8, 2013, with extended coverage across the Long Island region through the diocesan website (www.drvc.org) and TV station, Telecare TV (www.telecaretv.org).
In addition to the hospital’s long‐standing, active partnerships with many organizations and groups throughout the community such as the American Cancer Society, Bay Shore School District, Pronto, local breast cancer coalitions and chambers Good Samaritan is also a member of a Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC), as mentioned earlier. LIHC is a newly formed collaborative of local hospitals, county health departments, health and welfare organizations, and colleges working together to improve the health of all Long Islanders by focusing on prevention and wellness.
As prevention assumes a greater role in our nation’s health care delivery system, Good Samaritan Hospital will continue to evolve and create services that focus on keeping our communities healthy in order to achieve the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim: improving the patient experience of care; improving the health of populations; and reducing the cost of health care.14
14 Institute for Healthcare Improvement website: http://www.ihi.org/offerings/Initiatives/TripleAim/Pages/default.aspx